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During the year there was a gradual change in outlook
from one of passive defence to active production
which led to the call of women to war work including
women with young children. The Council therefore
took the step of adopting the principle of providing wartime
day nurseries. I have no doubt that the Council
as a Welfare Authority have taken on a further responsibility
with regard to the care of children under the
age of five which will be carried on in the years of peace.
With regard to infectious disease, measles in numbers
led the field, but the epidemic was of a mild character;
whooping cough was also prevalent and the most
fatal of the infectious diseases. There were no deaths
from diphtheria but the immunisation campaign went
forward well chiefly due in my opinion to the interest
taken in this matter by the Ministry of Health and their
wireless propaganda. By the end of the year 7,410
children had been immunised since the commencement
of the scheme and not one of these has developed
diphtheria.
The Corporation ambulance service continues very
actively, but more calls had to be transferred to outside
ambulances owing to the Corporation ambulance being
out when required. One of the Council's first duties
after the war will be the provision of a second
ambulance.
The waiting list for dental treatment for nursing
and expectant mothers and children under the age of five
steadily increased until it became necessary to do less
conservative treatment and arrange for more extractions.
With the return of dental surgeons to civil life from the
Services after the war it will be possible and necessary
to increase the number of dental sessions.
During the year terminal disinfection after cases of
infectious diseases such as scarlet fever and diphtheria
was discontinued, and the opportunity it taken here of
stating, for the purpose of reassuring any who may have
looked upon this as a step likely to increase the incidence
of infectious disease, that the number of cases of these
diseases, as will be seen in the summary of vital statistics,
has continued at a very low figure.
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